Trump calls for data center dividend for local communities

Data centres that were deeply unpopular became "extremely popular" once a financial deal was struck, Donald Trump says. On Wednesday, he told the industry to put that idea into practice with a data centre dividend.

In a Truth Social post, the president urged operators to "MAKE DEALS" with the towns that host them. He said companies should pay the community, individuals in it, or both. The day before, he told reporters that residents or local teachers could receive a payout, Newsweek reported.

Trump also claimed he has required large new AI data centres to generate their own power and sell or give any surplus back to the local grid. The post as published appears garbled in places, so check the wording on Truth Social before quoting his claim about electricity prices.

Marc Boroditsky, chief revenue officer at AI infrastructure firm Nebius, told CNBC his company is "100% in principle" discussing investment in the places where it builds. Speaking at Nvidia's GTC Berlin, he said rewards could flow back to residents.

In his view, a dividend already exists in other forms: tax revenue, education, jobs and wider economic development. A more direct benefit, he said, isn't unreasonable to consider.

People have raised concerns regarding their water consumption, power requirements, cost of electricity, and even the magnitude of these projects, with some states considering implementing a moratorium on the projects. In America and Europe, utilities are already overwhelmed with applications from large consumers, including data centres.

Given that November is the time for midterm elections, this issue has become political in nature.

This week, shares of data centres were down, given fears about the profitability of the industry, with companies relying more on debt financing.

Georges Elhedery, the CEO of HSBC, told CNBC investors need to be selective, especially with regard to tenancy arrangements and pricing of contracts.